Richard Al(l)ison (born c. 1560–1570 – died before 1610) was an English composer. He wrote ''de la Tromba'', a fine

broken consort In English early Baroque music, a broken consort is an ensemble featuring instruments from more than one family, for example a group featuring both string and wind instruments. A consort consisting entirely of instruments of the same family, on t ...

piece which has several professional recordings and first became well known due to the

Julian Bream Julian Alexander Bream (15 July 193314 August 2020) was an English classical guitarist and lutenist. Regarded as one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of the 20th century, he played a significant role in improving the public perc ...

Consort. He was known to be in the service of the Countess of Warwick in 1599, and then working for Sir John Scudamore. His publications are: ''The Psalms of David in Meter'' (1599) and ''An Hour's Recreation in musicke, apt for instruments and voyces'' (1606). His work also appears in Michael East's and

Thomas Ravenscroft Thomas Ravenscroft ( – 1635) was an English musician, theorist and editor, notable as a composer of rounds and catches, and especially for compiling collections of British folk music. Little is known of Ravenscroft's early life. He pr ...

's psalters, and

Thomas Morley Thomas Morley (1557 – early October 1602) was an English composer, theorist, singer and organist of the Renaissance. He was one of the foremost members of the English Madrigal School. Referring to the strong Italian influence on the Engl ...

publication. He referred in the dedication of his ''Psalmes'' to the late

Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick, KG (c. 1530 – 21 February 1590) was an English nobleman and general, and an elder brother of Queen Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Their father was John Dudley, Duke ...

as 'my good Lord and Master'. Allison is represented by thirteen compositions in a set of consort books (dated 1588), from the household of Sir

Francis Walsingham Sir Francis Walsingham ( – 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her " spymaster". Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wa ...

. Ten four-part settings by him appeared in East's ''Whole Booke of Psalms'' (1592), and he contributed a dedicatory poem to

Giles Farnaby Giles Farnaby (c. 1563 – November 1640) was an English composer and virginalist whose music spans the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque period. Life Giles Farnaby was born about 1563, perhaps in Truro, Cornwall or near London. ...

's ''Canzonets to Fowre Voyces'' (1598).Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians In 1599, he published his own ''Psalmes of David in Meter'', giving his London address as Dukes Place, near

Aldgate Aldgate () was a gate in the former defensive wall around the City of London. It gives its name to Aldgate High Street, the first stretch of the A11 road, which included the site of the former gate. The area of Aldgate, the most common use of ...

, and describing himself as a 'gentleman' and a 'practitioner' of music. This print also includes his coat of arms, providing much information about his family. In the same year, seven of his instrumental works appeared without attribution in Morley's ''First Booke of Consort Lessons'' (claims that Allison may have been the 'gentleman' who financed the publication remain unsubstantiated and seem improbable). In 1606, he published ''An Howres Recreation in Musicke'', acknowledging Sir John Scudamore (of Holme Lacy, near

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a populatio ...

) as his patron. He is not heard of again, and may well have been dead by the time of Philip Rosseter's ''Lessens for Consort'' (1609) which includes four of his compositions, together with the information that most of the contents are by composers 'whose memorie only remaines'.

Works, editions, recordings

* ''Goe from my window'' * ''The Batchelars Delight'' * ''De la Tromba Pavin'' * ''Alison's Knell'' * ''The Solo Lute Music of Richard Allison with Bandora and Cittern Arrangements, edited by John H. Robinson and Stewart McCoy with a biographical sketch by Robert Spencer (Lute Society Music Editions 1994)

External links

*
Music Collection
in

Cambridge Digital Library The Cambridge Digital Library is a project operated by the Cambridge University Library designed to make items from the unique and distinctive collections of Cambridge University Library available online. The project was initially funded by a donat ...

which contains early copies/examples of Allison's compositions

References

English classical composers Renaissance composers People of the Elizabethan era 16th-century births 1600s deaths Year of birth missing Year of death missing 16th-century English composers 17th-century English composers English male classical composers {{UK-composer-stub